Thank you for talking with us! For newer fans, how did your passion for music and career come about? Well, this is an interesting question. I am much older than your average new musician. I have already had a long career in the law. However, I have loved music since my youth in the 1970s, and I credit my father for that. He always had music playing in the car or the house. Mostly classic rock, like The Beatles, The Who, The Stones, and bands like Little Feat. He even played a little bass himself. After he took me to see Beatlemania on Broadway when I was 9 years old, I asked him if I could borrow his old bass guitar, and he gave it to me. Then, I played bass in cover bands throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s.
I put a pause on music for a couple of decades while I pursued my career in law and helped raise a family. I also never thought of myself as a songwriter, in part because I did not have confidence in my songwriting and singing skills. Then the pandemic hit and I had time to start playing music again. I even strung together some musical licks and ideas that had been in my head, and I started writing lyrics. I bought some software for my home computer, and began layering tracks for my songs. I watched lots of tutorial videos and made some pretty good mixes. My friends and family really liked a number of them, so I got those remixed, and I am now releasing a new song every month for next 8 months or so.
What song that you have recorded means the most to you and why? In a few months, I will release a single called “You Have One Job To Do.” It is a song I dedicated to my younger brother who died of kidney cancer in December 2020. The message of the song is this: we are only given one life to live on this planet and we should each spend that life working on benefiting each other. Essentially, work on leaving society in a better place than when you joined it. It is a philosophy that my brother lived by. Plus, I really like the bass line, and I think my brother would like the song musically.
Looking back, what was the first album or “vinyl” you bought? It has been so long ago that it’s hard to recall exactly, but one of my first vinyl records was Queen, The Game. I remember reading the liner notes and finally learning the lyrics to “Another One Bites The Dust.” I had been singing them all wrong! (Back then, there was no internet, so the liner notes were the only real way to learn the lyrics.) It was (and still is) a great album.
Is there anyone in your family that you can credit as being instrumental in your decision to go into the music field? Definitely my father. He was always listening to music and humming along to tunes. He played bass guitar, but mostly along with his stereo. He gave me his old bass guitar when I was very young and supported me in my playing with cover bands. He even joined my high school band for a few songs during my graduation party. He then returned the favor a few years later when he had finally started his own band and was playing the clubs in The Village in New York City. One night during their third set, his band called me up to the stage to play bass while my dad took a break.
My dad passed away in July 2020 (yes, it was a tough year), and it was after that that I started recording songs to share with friends and family. My first song was dedicated to him.
What is your favorite dish to cook? So, I love cooking on the grill. My favorite is grilled salmon on cedar planks. I soak the planks all day and then marinate the salmon (or sometimes just do salt, pepper and olive oil). I use a bit of a higher flame than others so I get a little bit of crispiness on the salmon skin and the outer edges. I usually grill some corn on the cob as a side dish. Straight on the grill, with no husks or foil wrap. You have to keep turning the cobs to get the grilling just right.
Favorite music to listen to while you cook? I usually have some classic rock or classic alternative rock going on the outdoor speakers while I am grilling. Sirius XM Classic Rewind (Channel 25) or First Wave (Channel 33) are my usual choices. Plus a beer in hand. I have been into Firestone Walker 805 beer recently. It’s a California central coast brewery.
If you could share a meal with any 4 individuals, living or dead, who would they be? As soon as I heard this question, I immediately thought: The Beatles. What an interesting conversation that would be! They made so much great music in such a short period of time, and straddled some really major changes in rock ‘n’ roll. They were fun, they were deep, and their musical and writing skills were amazing! I would certainly ask pointers about songwriting and how to make memorable melodies. That is if I weren’t too awestruck.
At the end of the day, what do you hope is the message of your music? What do you hope people take away from your songs? I try to have a message in all of my songs. Some are positive, some are warnings, but all are thoughtful. I call it Conscious Rock, and I try to lean on my many years of wisdom for inspiration. My debut single “Cure Me” warns of the things that are distracting and dividing our country. My next single “Will You Miss Me When I’m Gone” is written in the voice of the environment and cautions about the future if we don’t change our habits. And, as I mentioned, my forthcoming single “You Have One Job To Do” is about paying it forward. Also, I have a song “Perfection” coming out soon, where the message is that we don’t have to beat ourselves up trying to be perfectionists but rather should be happy with the way we are. Essentially, I hope that my music makes my listeners think about deeper things like life and society.
At the heart of Andrew Thomases’ music is one thing: he wants to stir curiosity in the hearts of his listeners. Whether it’s through singing about current events, bringing humor into music, or singing from the heart, his mission is the same, and he brings it to his audiences through retro rock rhythms infused with captivating melodies that pay homage to the greats of the ‘80s and ‘90s.
Thomases calls his style "conscious rock"; and it is—with songs about life experiences, loss and world events, Thomases takes listeners on an emotional journey, but not without making a few jokes along the way. It is this that’s his signature style; conscious, aware, and always striving for more—but never losing his sense of humor.
Growing up just north of New York City, Andrew watched his father pursue his passion for bass guitar, before picking up his own at the age of 12. Throughout high school, he organized and played in cover bands around his hometown, developing an ear for unusual chord progressions, and he continued to explore music during college, where he enjoyed a role as a DJ for the school’s radio station.
Today, Thomases creates music that’s inspired by his move to San Francisco, and all of the experiences that have, and continue to shape him.
"A number of my songs reflect my beliefs about our role in the world and society, and about the problems that face us today,” Andrew explains. Indeed, many of his songs examine changes in society and our impact on the environment. However, the singer-songwriter does not shy away from satire and humor, using it as a device to break up the serious nature of the themes he addresses.
Thomases has taken inspiration from personal stories and world events to write a collection of 10 captivating, sentimental, and intellectual songs. He will release his music as a string of singles, starting with his debut single “Cure Me,” which explores the state of the country at the height of the pandemic, and the ever-changing times we’re living in. The song serves as a reminder of not only what we’ve been through as a nation, but a reminder that we are stronger together. That collectively, we will heal.
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